In the wake of the Paris terrorist attacks, Democratic strategists say the vote was good politics for those 13 Democratic incumbents, who represent competitive districts of varying degrees. The vote gave them an opportunity to appear tough on national security, an issue they often struggle with.

As 2016 quickly approaches, Republicans are struggling to find top recruits in a trio of competitive House districts in California — a state where the party has suffered defeat at the congressional level for decades.

The National Republican Congressional Committee sent a staffer out to the Golden State last week to search for and meet with potential candidates and convince them to run in competitive districts in San Diego, Palm Springs and Sacramento, according to a source with knowledge of the visit.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee will announce Thursday the first 14 members who will join its Frontline program for the party's most vulnerable incumbents, according to an early copy of a news release obtained by CQ Roll Call.

The incumbents represent competitive districts, making them likely GOP targets in 2016 . The Frontline program,which Rep. Dan Kildee, D-Mich., is chairman of, provides these members with fundraising and organizational support for their re-elections.

Updated 4:39 p.m. | Democrats picked up their third House seat late Thursday, stemming the party's losses to 13 seats — for now.

After more absentee and provisional ballots were counted, Democrat Pete Aguilar maintained a lead over Republican Paul Chabot, 51 percent to 49 percent, in California's 31st District. Aguilar declared victory and Chabot conceded; the seat was open because Republican Rep. Gary G. Miller is retiring.

After the polls close Tuesday, it's likely at least a handful of House and Senate races will be too close to call .

What would happen next for these tight contests? In most cases, once all the votes are collected and counted, it's a pesky procedure that keeps candidates and canvassers up at night for days or weeks: the recount.

Less than two weeks before Election Day, the parties don't agree on much — except these House races will be decided by the slimmest of margins.

Candidates in these contests are expected to have a long wait on the evening of Nov. 4. In fact, some of these races will be so close that the winner might not be known for days — even weeks — after Election Day.

Kirkpatrick is one of the most endangered Democrats this cycle. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

House Republicans are on track to make gains this cycle, but two weeks before Election Day, it's still unclear whether the party will procure a wave of double-digit gains in their quest to extend the majority.

Members of Congress and operatives alike note this is a toxic time for Democrats on the ballot that should result in huge losses for the president's party. But a race-by-race evaluation of the House map shows Republicans are more likely in a position to pick up a net of around six seats this cycle.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has canceled its television advertising in a competitive northern Virginia House district and will shift most of that money to help an incumbent in northern California, according to a Democrat who monitors media buys.

The sum of the DCCC's cancellation in Virginia's 10th District was $2.8 million, according to the source. Democrats were on the offensive in the open-seat race to replace retiring Rep. Frank R. Wolf, R-Va. Across the country, three GOP outside groups have inundated California's 7th District in recent days with more than $1 million in ad buys each: American Crossroads, and sister organizations Congressional Leadership Fund and American Action Network.